*Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW Foundation versus *Urban Decay NakedSkin Liquid Make-Up swatches

Swatches From Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW Foundation in Beige & Toasted Beige & Decay naked Skin Liquid Make-Up shade 6, 7

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Hello my lovelies!

Today's post is all about my latest foundation swatches for shades suitable for mid-tone South Asian skin colouring (as in me) or Olive skin tones without too much yellow.  
The samples I picked up are from Benefit and Urban Decay.

I picked up 2 of each from the 2 different brands and was colour matched by the make-up consultant and was given 2 samples from each to try out at home, which is great as its really difficult to get a real match under the store lights..

The foundation swatches that I am reviewing today are 'Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW from Benefit (shades *Beige & *Toasted Beige)  
Naked Skin Liquid Make-Up from Urban Decay (*shades no 6 & 7) which is the first Foundation by Urban Decay. They do have a Beauty Balm but I was looking for a natural finish foundation for everyday use during the summer months..

Now  the 1st review is of the *Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW Foundation from Benefit and this is what it says on their website about the product:

• new oil-free brightening liquid foundation builds from light to medium coverage for a natural complexion you can believe in. It's you...just more luminous & healthy looking.
• broad-spectrum SPF 25 PA+++ protection**
• oil-free formula natural finish
• hydrating benefits
• light-diffusing properties
• available in 9 shades 

The images below are of shade Beige which is no6 which I tested on the inside of my wrist and I actually think that it was a very near match and gave a sheer to medium coverage without looking unnatural.

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW Foundation in no6 Beige

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW Foundation in no6 Beige

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW Foundation in no6 Beige

The Next images shows the Toasted Beige (no7).
I think that this shade was a better match for me and I would actually prefer to wear the Toasted Beige during summer as its a little warmer then the Beige without looking too yellow. 

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW Foundation in no7 Toasted Beige

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW Foundation in no7 Toasted Beige

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW Foundation in no7 Toasted Beige

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW Foundation in no7 Toasted Beige

I really do like this foundation! it is as the stated in the website and makes your skin luminous without looking greasy or over made-up. It allows the skin to breathe and doesn't feel mask like even though it is oil free...
I also like the fact that the foundation has a broad spectrum SPF protection  which in the summer is quite important and helps you not to worry about having to add another layer of product to your face.
This foundation is very easy to use, blends beautifully and can be used with fingers or a brush. It is also quite buildable and you can achieve a medium coverage without looking cakey. 
The good news for this foundation is that it goes up by another 3 shades from the colour no7 (toasted beige) I swatched which are Amber, Hazelnut and Nutmeg so there is room for darker more tanned skin to play around with!  


Unfortunately the Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Make-Up didn't live up to my expectation in terms of the shades aswell as the overall performance or appearance...

This is what it says on the Urban Decay website:

• Naked Skin uses light-diffusing spheres to 'blur' imperfections for a luminous, demi-matte finish that feels invisible but looks professionally retouched. Naked Skin is oil-free, paraben-free, fragrance-free, and loaded with nourishing ingredients:
• Matrixyl 3000-Anti-wrinkle and lifting peptides restore and maintain skin's youthful appearance while increasing elasticity.
• Litchiderm (derived from lychee fruit) – Protects the skin from dehydration, oxidative stress and accelerated aging, resulting in a brighter, more radiant complexion.
• Green Tea & Vitamin E – These anti-oxidants neutralize free-radicals and promote collagen production for smooth and supple skin.
• Sodium Hyaluronate – Holds and attracts water for optimal hydration, circulation and nutrient absorption, making skin smooth, soft and youthful.
• Our range of 18 meticulously calibrated shades use a numbering system to help you choose your perfect match. Shades ending in '.0' are warm (yellow/olive undertones). Shades ending in '.5' are cool (rosy/neutral undertones).
• 
  

This is what the Urban Decay in shade 6 looked like on my inner arm, The colour looked really great until I actually started to blend it and also its quite watery and a little goes a long way with this foundation. 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Make-Up shade 6.0 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Make-Up shade 6.0

Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Make-Up shade 6.0 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Make-Up shade 6.0 

The watery texture made the foundation dry really fast so you have to be working quite quickly to get an even finish which is something that I didn't need to worry about with the Benefit foundation.  

I think this foundation is better applied using a damp sponge to achieve a more natural finish and this will also allow you the time and ease to blend.
This foundation is ideal for very oily skin during the summer months but if you do have dry to combination skin I would advise to moisturise thoroughly as this will pronounce any dry patches that you may have. 

This provided a matt finish which also something that I particularly don't like and felt very tight and mask like on my face...
The saving  grace for me on this foundation is the colour range as it is available in 18 different shades with numbers ending with a '0' being more yellow toned and the numbers ending with '5' more suitable for a neutral complexion. 
It is also paraben free, fragrance free which quite important to some people and is also a oil free formulation as stated.

It does state on the website about all the skin nourishing ingredients its packed with but in all honesty it really doesn't feel very nourishing on the face and made me feel like it was sucking nutrients out of my skin instead of providing any.

This has no SPF built in but does compensate somewhat with the technology to blurr imperfections and helps to brighten and fights wrinkles with the same ingredient 'Matrixyl 3000'  which is used in the 'No7 Protect & Perfect Serum'.
 
I also think that because this provides a matt finish it would be advisable to go a shade darker then what you are matched to as the finish of the foundation once blended does look lighter then what it looks like in the bottle.
The shade below 6.0 was too light on me and made me look unwell and really was not a good look..   

And below are the swatched Urban Decay shade 7.0.
This was a slightly better colour for me but probably more suitable in terms of colour for winter then summer, I think I would prefer 8.0.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Make-Up shade 7.0 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Make-Up shade 7.0 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Make-Up shade 7.0 

As you can see from the swatches the shades do look great as they are the right balance of yellow for South Asian and Olive Skin tones but it does oxidise a little lighter on contact and does provide a flat, matt complexion which is not something that I particularly like or want. 
On the plus side this foundation does go up by another 5 shades (in the yellow tone) so it is trying to provide a good range of colours for people who are darker or of a tanned complexion.


I hope some of you ladies find this post handy and do try out these newbie Foundations! They both have pluses and shouldn't be disregarded as they have a great range for South Asian, Olive and Tanned skin to experiment with..

Do let me know your thoughts on this post and maybe you've had a different experience with these Foundations? Would love to know?

Have a fab mothering Sunday all!